The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

This Level 2 Scholastic Reader features bright color photos of ten common types of farm animals, each with a rhymed first-person introduction and a brief note on the animal’s job or products it produces. The gallery is book-ended by a full range of instructional tools for parents or teachers—including a small-type page of techniques for shared reading, a dozen test questions, a five-word glossary and a proto-introduction to parts of speech. Notably uneven in quality of writing (not to mention accuracy)—Horse: “I stand up all day. / I eat grass and hay. / But what I like best / is to gallop and play”—the verse is unlikely to provide much of a draw, but the pictures are strong on child appeal and the volume is replete with “teachable moments.” (Easy reader. 5-7)

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